Air outlet grille



March 28, 1961 R. L. BRUGLER 2,976,795

AIR OUTLET GRILLE Filed Feb. 11. 1959 nite This invention relates to an adjustable -air outlet grille particularly adapted for use on devices such as air conditioners wherein air is discharged under pressure into -an occupied space.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a simple and inexpensive air -outlet .grille capable of delivering air in a multiplicity of directions with a minimum of pressure drop and air turbulence.

It is also an object of this invention to provide apair of nested plates mounted for universal sliding movement relative to each other and provided with cooperating tapered apertures such that the lair outlet from a `rear plate is smaller than the air inlet to a front plate. This is desirable so that a minimum of obstruction vis prelsented to movement of air from an aperture in the 'rear plate to an aperture in the front plate and the direction of air discharge is governed by the relative positions of the plates.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a motor driven mechanism operable to drive components `of the grille to continuously alter the direction of air discharge therefrom to provide an air sweep effect.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the front cover of 4an air conditioner incorporating three air outlet grilles utilizing the invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of one of the air outlet grilles taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the plates moved relative to each other to provide a diiierent direction of air discharge;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of the plates and showing apertures as they lappear to the air approaching them;

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view oi a modified form of air outlet grille utilizing apertures of square cross section, a portion of the supporting structure being omitted; v

Figure 7 is a vertical section of the air outlet grille of Figure 6 taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a front elevational view, partly in section, showing a motor driven mechanism operative to continuously mo 'e one plate relative to the other to vary the direction of air discharge with a sweeping motion, a portion of the supporting structure being omitted.

The numeral 1t) designates the front cover of a room air conditioning unit incorporating the invention. It is to be understood that the air outlet grille could be utilized on other devices wherein air is discharged under pressure and it is desirable to control the direction of discharge.

The above mentioned front cover 10 includes three separate but similar air outlet grilles 12, 14, and 16 each of which incorporates the invention. The air outlet grille 16 has been selected for the purposes of this de- Sttes Patent ofthe U-shaped supporting frame structure.

`scription and referring to Figures 2 through 5 it will be seen that it includes asupporting frame structure 18 which has a generally square front elevation with a front opening 20 and -a rear opening 22.l The supporting frame structure 18, in cross sectionras illustrated in Figures y2, 3, and 4, has a U section with -legs 24 and -26 of the U connected by a base 2.8.

An apertured rear plate 30 is mounted within the .supporting frame structure 18 in a fixed position. An apertured front plate 32 is provided with slightly smaller overall dimensions of Width and heighth and retained within the supporting frame structure '18 in abutting relationship with the rear plate 30. The legs 24 land 26 of the yU-shaped supporting frame structure retain the plates in nested relationship and snugly fit thereagainst to accommodate sliding movement of the adjustable front plate 32 relative to the rear plate 30 in any direction in the plane `of the plate 32. This movement of the plate `32 is, however, limited by the presence of the base l28 The sides @t the front plate 32 relative Vto the base 28 of the supporting structure are so proportioned that each aperture provided in the front plate overlaps `a corresponding aperture in the rear plate in all positions of the Vfront plate relative to the rear 'plate permitted by the limitations imposed by the base 28 ofthe U-shaped supporting trarne ,.tructure.

The above mentioned apertures in the front plate 32 are identified by the numeral 34 and the apertures 'inthe rear plate 30 are identiied bythe numeral 36. As illus# trated in the drawings in Figs. l through 5 these apertures have a circular cross section, but they are tapered r`from rear to front. lt should also :be noted that the air outlet portion of the apertures 36 are smaller than the air inlet portion 'of apertures 34 so 'that no obstruction is presented to the flow of air even though the apertures overlap and are slightly misaligned. As illustrated yin Figs..2 through 4 the side walls of the apertures preferably are *flared in conformity with a convex curvature to define the above taper.

lFig. 2 of the drawings illustrates the plates .positioned With the front plate in its fuithermost position to the 'right thereby discharging air kas indicated by the arrows to the right fromthe front cover 10 of the air conditioning unit. Fig. 3 illustrates the parts with the front plate 32 adjusted to discharge air downwardly and Fig. 4 illustrates the same parts positioned to discharge air upwardly. Fig. 5 illustrates the apertures as they would appear to air approaching them for discharge.

Fig. 6 is a view from the rear of a generally similar 'air outlet grille having the same components mounted inthe same manner and the same reference numerals are used with respect to these components with the exception that a prime has been applied to the numerals designating the apertures since the apertures have a different shape in the Figs. 6 and 7 form of the invention. In this form of the invention the apertures have a square cross section with walls that taper on a straight line. Otherwise this form of the invention is similar to the form previously described.

Fig. 8 illustrates a modification of the device wherein springs 40 and 42 are mounted within the supporting frame structure 1S to resist movement of the front plate in two directions. An electric motor 44, by means of a belt drive 46, rotates a shaft 48 and through cooperating bevel gears 50 rotates a shaft 52 disposed at right angles to the shaft 48. The shafts 48 and 52, respectively, carry worms 54 and 56 which through worm gears 58 and 60 rotate a pair of cams 62 and 64 continuously in response to operation of the electric motor 44. The cams 62 and 64 abut adjacent edges of the adjustable front plate 32 and forcibly move platg 32 continuously in two directionswith the movement opposed by springs 40 and 42. TheA resultant of this bidirectional movement of plate 32 causes tion while the inclination of the air streams remains xed.

I claim:

1. An air outlet grille comprising front and rear plates and a supporting structure retaining said plates in nested relation with the front plate positioned in parallel relationship relative to the rear plate and with said plates having adjacent surfaces, said supporting structure including means accommodating sliding movement of one plate relative to the other, said plates having cooperating apertures therein each of which has all of its sides converging to define a tapered aperture adapted to accommodate the discharge of air therethrough, said supporting structure further including means limiting relative sliding movement of said plates within limits such that at least a portion of each aperture of one plate is in registry with its cooperating aperture in the other plate in all relative positions of said plates, the apertures of said rear plate each having a cross section at its said adjacent surface that is smaller than the cross section of the corresponding aperture in said front plate at its adjacent surface so that substantial relative movement of said plates within the above mentioned limits is accommodated. v

2. In a room air conditioner or the like, wall structure having an air outlet opening therein, an air outlet grille associated with the opening for controlling the direction of air discharge through that opening, said grille comprisingV an inner and outer plate, means mounting said plates in contact with each other across at least a portion of the above mentioned opening for slidable movement relative to each other within predetermined limits in any direction in the plane of the above mentioned air outlet opening, each of said plates being provided with a plurality of apertures with each aperture in one plate overlapping a `corresponding aperture in the other plate in all positions of the plates within the above mentioned predetermined limits, each of the above mentioned apertures having all of its side walls inclined relative to the axis of that aperture so that the aperture tapers in the direction of air ilow so that the cross section of the individual aperture is smaller at its outlet than at its inlet with the oulet of the inner plate being smaller in cross section than the inlet of the outer plate.

3. In a room air conditioner or the like, wall structure having an air outlet opening therein, an air outlet grille associated with the opening for controlling the direction of air discharge through that opening, said grille comprising an inner and outer plate, supporting structure retaining said plates in parallel relationship with each other across at least a portion of the above mentioned opening, said supporting structure retaining said inner plate in a fixed position and retaining said outer plate for slidable movement relative to said supporting structure 4 and said inner plate within predetermined limits in any direction in the plane of the above mentioned air outlet opening, each of said plates being provided with a plurality of apertures with each aperture in one plate overlapping a corresponding aperture in the other plate in all positions of the plates within the above mentioned prede termined limits, each of the above mentioned apertures in the outer plate having all of its side walls inclined relative to the axis of that aperture so that the aperture tapers in the direction of air flow so that the cross section of the individual aperture is smaller at its outlet than at its inlet with the inlet of the outer plate being greater in cross section than the outlet of the inner plate so that said outer plate can receive a stream of air emitted from each of the apertures in the inner plate and direct such air with a minimum of turbulence in a direction dictated by the relative positions of said plates.

4. An air outlet grille comprising front and rear plates and a supporting structure retaining said plates in nested relation with the front plate positioned in parallel relationship relative to the rear plate and with said plates having adjacent surfaces, said supporting structure including means accommodating universal sliding movement of one plate relative to the other, said plates having cooperating apertures therein to accommodate the discharge of air therethrough, said supporting structure further including means limiting relative sliding movement of said plates within limits such that at least a portion of each aperture of one plate is in registry with its cooperating aperture in the other plate in all relative positions of said plates, the apertures of said rear plate each having a cross section at its said adjacent surface that is smaller than the cross section of the corresponding'aperture in said front plate at its adjacent surface so that no obstruction is presented to the movement of air from an aperture in said rear plate to an aperture in said front plate when said apertures register within the above prescribed limits.

5. An air outlet grille comprising front and rear plates and a supporting structure retaining said plates in nested relation with the front plate positioned in parallel relationship relative to the rear plate and with said plates having adjacent surfaces, said supporting structure including means accommodating universal sliding movement of one plate relative to the other, said plates having cooperating apertures therein to accommodate the discharge of air therethrough, the apertures of said rear plate having a cross section at its said adjacent surface that is smaller than the cross section of the corresponding aperture in said front plate at its adjacent surface so that substantial relative movement of said plates is accommodated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 405,092 Hood June 11, 1889 1,982,125 Stacey Nov. 27, 1934 2,082,335 Hart June 1, 1937 2,124,716 Sperry July 26, 1938 2,658,440 Lange Nov. 10, 1953 2,807,992 Ehman Oct. l, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 485,879 Great Britain May 26, 1938 

